Russian weightlifting chief Syrtsov resigns

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Sergei Syrtsov resigned as president of the Russian Weightlifting Federation (RWF) on Thursday after the country's weightlifting team were barred from last month's Rio Olympics because of doping offences.

"I have decided to stand down and Maxim Agapitov will take temporary charge," Syrtsov, who had been in charge of the RWF since 2010, told the TASS news agency.

"The reason? Someone needs to pay for what has happened, and I did this," he added.

In July the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) banned Russian weightlifters from competing in the Rio Olympics because of numerous positive doping tests from the country's competitors.

A new president will be elected on Sept. 29.

Three candidates have already announced their intention to run – Agapitov, who is the vice-president of the RWF, the head of the RWF supervisory board Sergei Yeremin and Vyacheslav Klokova, who is a member of the IWF's technical committee.